Busier Architects Mean More Construction We've been looking for positive economic news in the constuction sector for quite some time. One leading indicator of construction activity can be found in the billings of architectual firms -- changes in billings are reflected as construction activity typically within twelve months. The American Institute of Architects' (AIA) New Projects Inquiry Index" showed an impressive increase to 65 points in November -- with 50 points being no change in month-to-month billings. Design billings for commercial/industrial and multi-family residential showed increases, while other project types did not garner increases, suggesting that a recovery in residential construction is at least one year away. As far as regional differences are concerned, the stongest architectual billings came in the South and Midwest. Meanwhile Northeast billings were flat for November and those in the West showed a small decline. “This is a heartening development for the design and construction industry that only a few years ago accounted for nearly ten percent of overall GDP but has fallen to slightly less than six percent,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Hopefully, this uptick in billings is a sign that a recovery phase is in the works. However, given the volatility that we’ve seen nationally and internationally recently, we’ll need to see several more months of positive readings before we’ll have much confidence that the U.S. construction recession is ending..” Click here for AIA White Paper.Selling More Washout Service Your job, in selling concrete washout waste removal is to "map" your service to your customer's specific need. One of the most consistent marketing mistakes we see is a failure to truly focus on one or two key benefits, instead talking about the nuts and bolts of what you do -- they don't care! Let's consider a hypothetical builder who has never used concrete washout service despite your repeated attempts. You may have introduced yourself as offering an environmental protection product. If he hasn't bought yet, what does that tell you? Quite possibly that he doesn't see himself as a buyer of "environmental protection." In fact, he might find "environmental protection" a nuisance or worse! With jobsite safety on nearly everyone's mind, you might instead offer him the reduced liabilty benefits of CWS. "The last thing you need is somebody tripping on pump spoils. I'll give you a free trial. If you don't agree it keeps the jobsite cleaner, neater and safer, I'll pick it up at no cost. If you do use us, since we treat the materials and recycle you have lower cost and lower liability." Over eighty percent of free trials convert to a paying customer based on our conversations with providers across the country. Builders need you. It's your job to cut to the chase in all your communications with a few clear benefits.Make More Money, Keep More Money with Porta-Vac We've talked about sales techniques to make more money. Now here's how you can save big. The 300 gallon Porta-Vac allows a single truck to vacuum and haul a washout container, which reduces your costs giving you maximum flexibility. Since the Porta-Vac can be fitted to any roll-off body, it protects your investment not only in itself but also in your trucks. If you've ever had a down truck, you know the value of flexibility. For CWS founder, Mark Jenkins, the Porta-Vac has meant remarkable cost savings as his previously busy vacuum truck sits idle while a single truck and driver now does the work of two! This product requires some customization. Don't let procrastination cause you to have to wait extra months to start saving. Contact us today to find out more.Quotes "Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." -Jacques Yves Cousteau "Architecture is the art of how to waste space." -Philip Johnson